


Rope burn

by LittleLinor



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
Genre: Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-20 23:20:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2446784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLinor/pseuds/LittleLinor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As he explores intimacy, Daichi finds out that not all wounds show on your skin.</p>
<p>Consensual kink, accidentaly triggering, and communication.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rope burn

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Missing stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2446109) by [LittleLinor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLinor/pseuds/LittleLinor). 



The rope tightens around Daichi's wrists, and without any warning it's tightening around his lungs too.  
It squeezes and chokes, ropes around his chest, fear on his skin, _noise_ that he can't actually hear but that still sinks into his bones, makes him dizzy as his brain tries to follow it. His arms are at his back, again, always, locked in place, and--  
"Daichi!"  
Yamato's voice calls him back, authoritative and safe, commanding his attention, away from the noise and the cold.  
"Are you all right?"  
He swallows. His throat hurts, like it's frozen, maybe from all the air he didn't get.  
"Y-yeah. Sorry, I-- spaced out."  
He's fine. He's safe, and there's no metal digging into his back, no foreign hands on his neck and body, no ropes around his chest or his legs, just his wrists, so it's all right, it's all right, it's...  
Yamato pulls him close, his face against Yamato's shoulder, and through his shaking, he thinks he hears a sob.  
"Daichi..." Yamato calls out, a lot more gentle, awkward, like he's not sure whether to be commanding or tender, "What's wrong?"  
"It's nothing..." and he's chuckling, because it _is_ , it's so small and dumb and hasn't it been over a year? Almost two? "I just--remembered something. I'm fine now."  
He's fine, he has to be, he asked for this, it's just a little rope, it's not like it's-- _tightening around his bruised ribs_ \-- like he's-- _lying on the cold ground with his arms trapped under him_ \-- like he's--  
He only notices the rope has been pulled away when Yamato pries his hands open, and gently pulls them away from his back. It's a slow movement, deliberate enough that his senses are finally catching up to it, warning him in advance, and he's too shaken to resist the pull. He lets his arms be brought back to his front--safe--lets Yamato slowly intertwine their fingers.  
He's small, so small, so weak, so useless (always useless).  
He can't believe Yamato hasn't just dropped him where he is.

"Daichi..."  
There's something strange in Yamato's voice. Fear? But he's never heard him afraid.   
"Daichi, look at me."  
He doesn't want to. He'll have to face the disapointment (he was supposed to make himself _useful_ \--no, wait, that wasn't it), to know exactly how much of a failure he is. But Yamato's voice is firm, so he looks up anyway.  
What he finds is worry.  
"I took the rope away. There's nothing restraining you anymore." His voice is soft and careful, coaxing him into nodding--and moving his arms, slightly. Yeah. Yeah they're free. Yamato lets go of one of his hands, and cups the back of his head instead. "... Daichi, tell me what's wrong. Please."

It's shocking enough that it snaps him out of it, finally, and the only sweat on his skin is that of his short panic, still cooling against him. He shudders.  
"... in Nagoya..."  
It's only a whisper, but it looks like Yamato heard him anyway, because his arm wraps more tightly around him.  
"You were taken hostage."  
A statement, not a question, but it's a relief right now. And there's this inflexion in his voice--tenderness, almost.  
"Yeah. They tied me up--I didn't think I'd do this. Sorry."  
"You don't need to apologise. I should have foreseen this."  
"It's pathetic, huh?"  
"It's... human." A pause. "Even I have memories I would rather not revisit."  
And it's probably worse than this, Daichi thinks, but he nods and lets himself lean against Yamato's chest, take comfort in his warmth, in how steadfast he feels.  
"... will you tell me about it?"  
It takes him by surprise. Yamato has never been one for stories, or for excuses, for that matter. But for him to ask now... it feels warm. Special. Intimate.  
The memories start spilling out of him, for the first time since Io rescued him.  
"They got us as we were heading to the branch from the station... there was a hit to my head, and then hands around my neck... they grabbed my hands while I was choking..." He rubs his wrists, trying to chase away the sensation. "Tied me up completely... couldn't even move my legs, they had to carry me. I think some guy wanted to kill me, but they said 'focus on supplies.' And then Ronaldo wanted hostages."  
In the silence, Yamato's fingers have started moving, rubbing against his scalp in a soothing, almost protective motion.  
"So they moved me and dumped me into the planetarium for the rest of the night. I was pressed against the seats, but it hurt my arms too much--so I rolled to get on the ground. Got screamed at, they thought I was trying to escape. Kicked me a few times, but then they left me alone, so I could finally rest a bit."  
It's almost funny, now he thinks about it. As if he'd had a single chance to escape. As if he'd ever thought he could.  
"Not sure how long I stayed there... a while. And then Jungo showed up... they called reinforcements... and then Io and the others." He chuckles. "She untied my legs, but I couldn't walk properly. Guess I'd spent too long like that."  
Yamato tenses, and for a second he thinks his joke was in bad taste, but when he looks up, Yamato looks angry, and Daichi finds himself pulled tight against him.  
"Yamato?"  
"I won't let it happen again."  
He says it with such fierce determination that Daichi can't help but believe him. It's a strange feeling.   
"... I thought you were gonna kick me out when we came back. I mean, I was already pretty useless, and when I finally find something to do, I go and get myself kidnapped? Talk about a liability."  
"You defeated Dubhe almost on your own. You challenged _me_. You're far from worthless."  
"Yeah well I know that _now_."  
"Do you?  
Daichi blinks. Yamato pulls back, looks him in the eye, and asks again, tightening his hold on his hand.  
"Do you, Daichi?"

He closes his eyes and smiles, and takes in the warmth, the possessive grip, the intensity in Yamato's voice.  
"Yeah."  
And this time, he does.


End file.
